Citations and a reference list help readers locate and verify the original sources from which information is taken. They also help establish credibility for a work. In academic writing or scholarly publications, not citing the sources of information in the content can lead to claims of plagiarism and academic misconduct. Various citations are available, with every discipline preferring specific styles. If you want to know more about the 9 popular citation styles and how PhD thesis writing services in the UK can help, then keep reading.
What is a Citation Style?
Citation styles dictate the rules for formatting academic references. This applies to both reference lists and in-text citations. The key purpose of citations is to give credit to information sources and thus build credibility and avoid plagiarism. Another purpose of citation styles is to ensure consistency of document formatting.
Citation styles can vary based on how they are presented. Moreover, every type of source, like a journal article, book, or website, is formatted in a different way in the reference list entry. And citation styles also have specific components. In relation to this, here is the difference among the main components.
| Component | Presentation | Purpose |
| In-Text Citations | These are the short references made within the body of the text. In-text citations can be parenthetical (author name and publication year in brackets, at the end of a sentence or clause) or narrative (name directly in sentence, and year in brackets). | The in-text citations point to the full source presented in the reference list. |
| Reference List | It is a compiled list of all sources cited in the paper, either sorted in A to Z or in the order of in-text citations. | The list provides full publication details of each cited source. |
| Footnotes/ Endnotes | These are numbered notes placed either at the bottom of the content pages or at the end of the document. | The notes may contain reference texts and full or partial citations. |
Table 1: Components of Citation Styles
Citation Styles to Be Familiar With
PhD thesis writing services in the UK are well-versed in a number of citation styles. Here are the top 9 citation styles that are used most commonly.
1. APA (American Psychological Association)
APA is an author-date citation style with emphasis on the publication year. It is commonly used in the social sciences. The reference list provides the author’s name, year, title, journey name or book publishing house, and page numbers in order. The reference list entries are sorted in A to Z order, and the document requires precise formatting for clarity.
| Source Type: | Journal Article |
| In-Text (Parenthetical): | (Harkin et al., 2016) |
| In-Text (Narrative): | Harkin et al. (2016) |
| Reference List: | Harkin, B., Webb, T. L., Chang, B. P. I., Prestwich, A., Conner, M., Kellar, I., Benn, Y., & Sheeran, P. (2016). Does monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 142(2), 199–229. |
2. MLA (Modern Language Association)
MLA style is mainly used in the fields of humanities, literature, and language arts. It involves the use of a simple author-page format in-text, where the year is omitted. The reference list is typically called “Works Cited,” and it focuses on the author and publisher. Moreover, a streamlined and parenthesis-free structure is followed for smooth reading.
| Source Type: | Book |
| In-Text: | Butler 23 |
| Works Cited: | Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. 2nd ed., Routledge, 1999. |
3. Chicago/ Turabian
This is a versatile citation style that offers two systems: Notes & Bibliography (for history, using footnotes) and Author-Date (for social sciences, using parentheses). The detailed structure of the Chicago style helps with comprehensive documentation of books, archives, and complex sources.
Notes and Bibliography:
| Source Type: | Book |
| Footnote (Notes & Bibliography) | 1. Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea (New York: Penguin, 1997), 54–55. |
| Bibliography | Rhys, Jean. Wide Sargasso Sea. New York: Penguin, 1997. |
Author Date:
| Source Type: | Book |
| In-Text (Author-Date) | (Rhys 1997, 54–55) |
| Reference List | Rhys, Jean. 1997. Wide Sargasso Sea. New York: Penguin. |
4. Harvard
A common author-date style that is particularly followed in the UK and in scientific fields. It is similar to APA, with slight differences in how the reference list entries are formatted. The Harvard style is focused on the author’s surname and year in the text.
The reference list prioritizes accessibility. So, it uses a slightly different punctuation and capitalization than APA. In Harvard style, you may also include the page number or paragraph in the in-text citation to help locate information precisely in the original source.
| Source Type: | Book |
| In-Text | (Smith, 1995: 14) |
| Reference List | Smith, A. (1995). The wealth of modern cities. London: Thames Publishing. |
5. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
The IEEE style is commonly used in the engineering and technical fields. It features a strict numeric system. The in-text citations are presented as numbers in brackets, where the number is linked to an ordered reference list. This style prioritizes technical accuracy and conciseness in the document.
| Source Type: | Journal Article |
| In-Text | [1] |
| Reference List | [1] S. K. Chen, “Optimizing digital signals,” IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst., vol. 60, no. 1, pp. 12-25, Jan. 2022. |
6. Vancouver
This citation style is predominantly used in medicine and physical sciences. This style follows a simple numeric system. The sources are numbered consecutively in order of how they appear in the text. The reference list then follows the same numerical order, and the journal titles are abbreviated.
| Source Type: | Journal Article |
| In-Text | (1) |
| Reference List | 1. Hallal AH, Amortegui JD, Jeroukhimov IM, Casillas J, Schulman CI, Manning RJ. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography accurately detects common bile duct stones in resolving gallstone pancreatitis. J Am Coll Surg. 2005 Jun; 200(6):869-75. |
7. ASA (American Sociological Association)
This is the standard citation style in sociology. It also follows the author-date system but has unique reference list formatting. You will often see the use of initials for the first names. The citation style places emphasis on the context of social research by clearly linking claims to authors and dates.
| Source Type: | Journal Article |
| In-Text | (Ray 2019:8) |
| Reference List | Ray, V. 2019. “A Theory of Racialized Organizations.” American Sociological Review 84(1):26–51. |
8. ACS (American Chemical Society)
This citation style is used mainly in chemistry. It is flexible, which allows for either of the numbered citations (superscript or in-text) and an author-date system, depending on the journal. ACS formats are designed to help quickly identify chemistry journals, volumes, and page numbers.
| Source Type: | Journal Article |
| In-Text | (1) |
| Reference List | (1) Brown, G. A.; Lee, S. K. Synthesis of Novel Polymers. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 10-15 |
9. Bluebook/ Legal Citation
This is the official language of U.S. law, court documents, and legal review articles. It involves the use of a specialized code of abbreviation for citing cases, statutes, and regulations precisely. So, it is a highly detailed and specific citation style for use in the legal field.
| Source Type: | Case Law |
| Case Citation | Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 439 (1966). |
| Statute/ Act | Health Care Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1395 (2018). |
| Law Review Article | (1) Brown, G. A.; Lee, S. K. Synthesis of Novel Polymers. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 10-15 |
Tips for Choosing the Right Citation Style
Here are some tips you can follow to ensure that you are using citation styles in the right way.
Match Style to Discipline
Remember that there are established standards for the documentation of sources in every academic field. So, make sure you are informed about the particular style preferred in your field of study. You can also seek assignment help services for guidance on using the right citation style.
Confirm Instructor or Publication Requirements
For submitting academic assignments or journal articles, it is important that you confirm the specific citation style requirement. Check assignment briefs and author guidelines to understand the specific citation and formatting requirements.
Take Advantage of Citation Management Tools
You can use citation management software like Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote for automatically organising research and formatting citations. Also, use scholarly literature search engines like Google Scholar to quickly find articles from across databases.
Use Latest and Credible Sources
You are advised to use the latest sources, preferably the ones published within the last 5 to 10 years. Also, try to use credible sources, like the articles published by renowned authors or high-impact publishers.
Key Takeaways
Using citations properly and consistently is essential for preventing plagiarism and establishing credibility for your work. It is also necessary to help readers correctly locate key information in the original sources. With proper citations, you will be able to provide a strong foundation for your arguments. It will also help other researchers verify your arguments and perform a peer review.
Not using citations properly can lead to a deduction of grades in academic assignments. And it will be academic misconduct if you don’t use citations, falsify sources, or cite sources in a misleading way. So, ensure that your scholarly work is properly formatted and appropriately cited. Consult with an assignment help service in the UK today!
